Conveyors having a rotatable transfer section

Abstract

Apparatus and systems related to conveyors having a rotatable section are disclosed. Another example apparatus includes first and second conveyors transporting objects in order, and a rotatable transfer section to which the objects are provided from the first conveyor in a first direction. The objects are to be rotated about an axis of rotation and placed onto the second conveyor from the rotatable transfer section in a second direction different from the first direction.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A conveyor for transporting objects arranged in order comprising:
 a conveyor segment on which objects may be moved by a fixed drive system, 
 wherein the conveyor segment includes a transfer section, an acceleration section, and a braking section, 
 wherein the acceleration section is positioned upstream of the transfer section and the braking section positioned downstream of the transfer section, 
 wherein the objects in the acceleration section are to be accelerated by a supply unit from a first transport speed to a higher second transport speed, 
 wherein the accelerated objects are to be moved into the transfer section in a first direction of movement from the acceleration section, to be rotated in the transfer section about an axis of rotation, and to be moved to the braking section in a second direction of movement different from the first direction of movement, and 
 wherein the objects in the braking section are to be decelerated by a handover unit from a third transport speed to a lower fourth transport speed. 
 
     
     
       2. The conveyor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor segment has a transport section upstream of the acceleration section, and wherein the objects are to be moved in the transport section at a substantially constant transport speed. 
     
     
       3. The conveyor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor segment has a transport section downstream of the braking section, and wherein the objects are to be moved in the transport section at a substantially constant transport speed. 
     
     
       4. The conveyor as defined in one of  claims 1 , wherein the objects are to be accelerated in the acceleration section with a varying rate of acceleration. 
     
     
       5. The conveyor as defined in one of  claims 1 , wherein the objects are to be decelerated in the braking section with a varying rate of deceleration. 
     
     
       6. The conveyor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first transport speed and the fourth transport speed are substantially the same. 
     
     
       7. The conveyor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the objects are to be decelerated in the transfer section, rotated about the axis of rotation, and then accelerated. 
     
     
       8. The conveyor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor segment has conveyor sections running parallel to one another and in which the objects are to be displaced with opposite directions of movement, or the conveyor segment has at least one section path in a W-shape, one section guided in a meandering path or at least one section guided in a rectangular path or in a U shape path. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus as defined in  claim 1 :
 wherein the transfer section of the conveyor segment has a rotary device that is rotatable about the axis of rotation and has a linear movement arrangement for pulling objects in the first direction of movement and releasing objects in the second direction of movement, and 
 wherein the linear movement arrangement of the rotary device is arranged in a hot-gas atmosphere region of a dryer tunnel and has a drive positioned outside the hot-gas atmosphere region of the dryer tunnel, wherein the drive of the linear movement arrangement is coupled by a transmission that contains a transmission element protruding from outside the hot-gas atmosphere region into the hot-gas atmosphere region and consisting at least of a section extending from outside the hot-gas atmosphere region into the hot-gas atmosphere region, the transmission element including material with a thermal conductivity lower than 
 
       
         
           
             
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       10. The conveyor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the transfer section has a rotary device that is rotatable about the axis of rotation and has a linear movement arrangement for pulling objects in the first direction of movement and releasing objects in the second direction of movement. 
     
     
       11. The conveyor as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the linear movement arrangement moves the objects onto the rotary device in a path of displacement spatially offset from the axis of rotation. 
     
     
       12. The conveyor as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the linear movement arrangement moves the objects onto the rotary device having two paths of displacement running parallel to one another and spatially offset from the axis of rotation. 
     
     
       13. The conveyor as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the linear movement arrangement has a drive positioned above or beneath the rotary device. 
     
     
       14. The conveyor as defined in  claim 10 , wherein the linear movement arrangement decelerates objects supplied in the first direction of movement and accelerates objects in the second direction of movement. 
     
     
       15. An apparatus comprising:
 a conveyor segment on which objects may be moved by a fixed drive system, 
 wherein the conveyor segment includes a transfer section, an acceleration section, and a braking section, 
 wherein the acceleration section is positioned upstream of the transfer section and the braking section positioned downstream of the transfer section, 
 wherein the objects in the acceleration section are to be accelerated by a supply unit from a first transport speed to a higher second transport speed, 
 wherein the accelerated objects are to be moved into the transfer section in a first direction of movement from the acceleration section, to be rotated in the transfer section about an axis of rotation, and to be moved to the braking section in a second direction of movement different from the first direction of movement, and 
 wherein the objects in the braking section are decelerated by a handover unit from a third transport speed to a lower fourth transport speed. 
 
     
     
       16. The apparatus as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the transfer section has a rotary device that is rotatable about the axis of rotation and a linear movement arrangement for pulling objects in the first direction of movement and releasing objects in the second direction of movement, wherein one or more of the transfer section or the linear movement arrangement is located in a dryer tunnel having a hot-gas atmosphere region where the objects are dried. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus as defined in  claim 16 , wherein the linear movement arrangement moves the objects onto the rotary device having two paths of displacement running parallel to one another and spatially offset from the axis of rotation, and wherein the drive of the rotary device is positioned outside the hot-gas atmosphere region of the dryer tunnel. 
     
     
       18. An apparatus for treating the surface of workpieces comprising:
 a conveyor for transporting objects arranged in order, having a conveyor segment on which the objects may be moved by a fixed drive system, wherein the conveyor segment has a transfer section, to which the objects are supplied in a first direction of movement, in which the objects are rotated about an axis of rotation, and from which the objects are removed in a second direction of movement different from the first direction of movement, 
 wherein the transfer section of the conveyor segment has a rotary device that is rotatable about the axis of rotation and has a linear movement arrangement for pulling objects in the first direction of movement and releasing objects in the second direction of movement, and 
 wherein the linear movement arrangement of the rotary device is arranged in a hot-gas atmosphere region of a dryer tunnel and has a drive positioned outside the hot-gas atmosphere region of the dryer tunnel, wherein the drive of the linear movement arrangement is coupled by a transmission that contains a transmission element protruding from outside the hot-gas atmosphere region into the hot-gas atmosphere region and consisting at least of a section extending from outside the hot-gas atmosphere region into the hot-gas atmosphere region, the transmission element including material with a thermal conductivity lower than 
 
       
         
           
             
               10 
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                   W 
                   
                     m 
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                     K 
                   
                 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
     
     
       19. The apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the linear movement arrangement has a drive positioned above or beneath the rotary device. 
     
     
       20. The apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the conveyor includes one of the conveyors of  claim 1 ,  2 ,  3 ,  5 ,  6 ,  7 ,  8 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 ,  13  or  14 . 
     
     
       21. The apparatus as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the transmission is surrounded at least partially by a thermally insulated housing. 
     
     
       22. An apparatus comprising:
 first and second conveyors transporting objects in order; 
 a rotatable transfer section to which the objects are provided from the first conveyor in a first direction, the objects to be rotated about an axis of rotation and placed onto the second conveyor from the rotatable transfer section in a second direction different from the first direction; and 
 an acceleration section positioned upstream of the transfer section and a braking section positioned downstream of the transfer section, wherein the objects are accelerated in the acceleration section in the first direction prior to entering the transfer section and the objects are decelerated in the deceleration section in the second direction subsequent to leaving the transfer section. 
 
     
     
       23. The apparatus as defined in  claim 22 , wherein the rotatable transfer section is rotated by a rotary device positioned above or below the rotatable transfer section.